Matt Corral, a former Ole Miss outstanding quarterback, signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League last month. The deal signified his return to professional football after missing much of his sophomore season in the National Football League in 2023.
Just over a month later, he’s also returned to his position as the starting signal-caller.
The Stallions confirmed Thursday night that Corral would start the season opener on Saturday (Mar. 30). When the 25-year-old quarterback was first signed, he was not guaranteed to start for the squad. He had to beat out J’Mar Smith and Adrian Martinez for the starting position.
Corral will now lead the Stallions in Texas against the Arlington Renegades on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. CT at Choctaw Stadium.
Though the former Rebel appeared to be missing in action at times last autumn, the Stallions’ head coach is not concerned about Corral’s dedication to the squad.
“I had some great conversations with Matt before we ever signed as we were in the recruiting process in free agency,” Stallions head coach Skip Holtz said of Corral after the signing. “And while we were on the phone and visiting, one of the issues I wanted answered was, ‘What’s the degree of devotion here? Why did things happen in the past the way they did, and what’s going on
“But I felt really comfortable in talking with him, and hearing him explain his situation, take ownership for some of the things he could’ve done better, and why he made the decisions he did and why he’s excited about continuing to play.”
Corral is the second former Ole Miss quarterback to start in the United Football League. Jordan Ta’amu, Corral’s Rebels teammate in 2018, is the DC Defenders’ starting signal-caller.
If the two are still starting in less than a month, they will face off on the football field. The Stallions will host the Defenders for a Week 4 game in Birmingham on April 20 at 6 p.m. CT.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers traded up to take the Ole Miss product in the third round with the 94th overall pick. Corral spent his first season on injured reserve, recovering from foot surgery for a Lisfranc ailment suffered in the preseason.
Carolina then waived the former Rebel signal-caller in August 2023. The Patriots would then claim him off waivers shortly after. Corral’s stay in New England was short, and many people got anxious about his location at times. However, after receiving information from individuals close to the family, those anxieties faded quickly.
Corral threw for 8,287 passing yards throughout his four-year Rebel career, with 75 total touchdowns (57 passing) and 23 interceptions in 27 starts.
